Greetings, everyone! This is Kimberly, the Webmistress. I wanted to write a personal message to note the passing of yet another milestone related to Chris’s career: the 20th anniversary of the creation of this website!
Those of you who were on the site (and the companion mailing list) way back when might’ve heard this story… but I need to write something, so let’s take a trip down memory lane.
It was in March of 1995 that I first met Chris Connelly. I was a sophomore in college at the time, and I was planning to see Chris and the Shipwreck Band on tour during my spring break. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia show had been cancelled, so I called WaxTrax!/TVT to find out what other shows were within train or driving distance. A kind soul named Adam gave me dates and locations, and offered to arrange for an interview with Chris if I could write something for my college newspaper. An interview?!? Of course I said yes — I’d figure out how to get it in print later.
So, off I drove to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (my first “long-distance” drive). I met and interviewed Chris before the show, got to hang out during sound check, took some photos of the band, and watched the show from the very front of the room. I also hung out after the show, hoping for another chance to chat with Chris and with the band. Finally, I got up the nerve, took a deep breath, and asked Chris, “Can I set up a web site for you?”
“A what?” was his answer. I ended up having to explain not just what the web was, but email, the Internet, and a whole lot about computers. (Thank goodness William Tucker was close at hand — he was quite interested in the conversation and encouraged Chris to say yes. Thanks, Tucker!) I returned to school, wrote an article for the newspaper, and started working on a web site. I don’t know when it launched, exactly, but it was live before the end of the semester — just before my 20th birthday. And since I turn 40 tomorrow, I’m calling today the anniversary of the site.
The site was originally hosted on my computer science professor’s workstation — the URL was http://blackcat.brynmawr.edu/~kimberly/CC/. Purchase of the domain name didn’t happen until three years later, and by that time, this was the “official” site — Chris had given me his full endorsement. What Chris didn’t know — what neither of us knew, at the time — was that in doing so, he was helping me to kick off my career as a web professional and as a small business owner. I can’t ever thank him enough for that!
Our friendship, too, has lasted these twenty years. I wonder if, twenty years ago, I could’ve imagined that one day I’d be helping Chris’s kids prepare for an egg drop competition at school? Probably not. And that’s not the only friendship that’s been an important part of my life — I’ve become good friends with so many of you, my fellow fans!
All of this is due to this magical thing called the World Wide Web. I’ve been speaking about the history of the web a lot, lately. Sometimes I still can’t believe that this hobby became my career. And sometimes I can’t believe we’re all still doing what we’re doing, twenty years on: Chris creating beautiful music and art for us to enjoy, and us still enjoying it. Sounds like something worth celebrating, to me.
Thank you, all, for being part of CC.com and happy anniversary to us all!
Love,
Kimberly Blessing
Happy new year! If you haven’t yet, rock in the new year with this recording of Chris’s live performance of Artificial Madness back in December at The Hideout.
Artificial Madness – Live at The Hideout
Chris has been rocking in the new year by writing new material. We’ll post more news about that as it becomes available.
If you’re following Chris on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll know about the contest to win a copy of the new album. Congratulations to the winners: Chris Matheson, Robert Henry, and Christopher Jacobson.
Want to win a copy of Ed Royal, Chris’s first novel? Check back next month!
Are you ready for Artificial Madness? It’s out today on Relapse Records! Run out to your favorite record store to buy it or order it online from Relapse Records, iTunes (Deluxe edition), or Amazon.com!
In honor of Chris’s new release, and just to catch up with the “Web 2.0” world, we’ve also redesigned the site. It should play nicely with all of your various web-enabled devices and features helpful pointers to Chris on Facebook and Twitter. We welcome your feedback and hope you enjoy the new site!
Shipwreck was released to critical acclaim in 1994 and has long been a favorite of many a Connelly fan. Now, over a decade later, we can hear more of that album, thanks to the availability of the master tapes!
As part of this 6-disc set are some album mixes, alternate mixes and instrumentals (great for karaoke!). There’s also a cover of John Cale’s “Close Watch”, which is a different recording from other versions made available on this site previously.
All tracks are available in MP3 format as well as FLAC format (lossless audio, for you audiophiles out there).
Many thanks go to Mark Weddle for doing all of the work needed to make these tracks available and to Chris for allowing these to go public.
The shop is once again open for business… we have limited quantities of Chris’s first book, Confessions of the Highest Bidder, plus CDs and videos. Happy shopping!
Why do so many people love Chris? Obviously it’s because of the beautiful music he makes. And to helps us march along this month (ha ha! get it? march along? and it’s March?) we’ve got more music for you.
First, be sure to pick up a copy of Chris’s latest collaborative work, Everyoned. Chris contributes his melodic tones to a band of Chicago-based musicians. Pick it up in our Shop for just $9.00!
Then head over to the Downloads area for some more music… this time we’ve got recordings of Chris live as well as some previously unreleased demos!
You’ll only find stuff this good here at chrisconnelly.com!
Have you noticed the changes? The Discography is now up-to-date, so if you’re trying to locate information on Chris’s musical releases, check there.
Brand spankin’ new is the Shop, where you can buy many of Chris’s solo works as well as collaborations with other artists and his book. Support this site by purchasing the items you need to complete your Connelly collection!
The Downloads area currently has a streaming video of Chris’s January 23rd performance at Schubas in Chicago, so take a look/listen. There’s still more to come, so keep checking back!
A new year, and finally, a new web site! You’ll notice that some new content areas are now available, with more yet to come. In particular, fans may be tickled to see some early photos of Chris in his music career in the new photo gallery.
Frequent visitors to the Converse with Chris message boards should note that they have been moved — and redesigned! Please update your bookmarks, favorites, and hyperlinks.
If you’re in search of Chris’s book, Confessions of the Highest Bidder, look no further. As the official source for the book, we continue to be make it available — now in the Books area of the site.
Enjoy… and happy 2004!
Welcome to chrisconnelly.com! The site has moved from its previous web address.
